Alarm time-piece



G. O. BRIDEVAUX 'ALARM TIME-PIECE oef. 31, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filedneo. e, .1966

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Deo. 6, 1966 l r f f 1 Wr x rf r f d l Q if# /N mS wm. lmm L\ k \\W /m /r/m e a f2 mm Y m mmm w qm //r w w m: 2 NNUU Oct.31, v1967 Filed Dec. 6, 1966 G. O. BRIDEVAUX ALARM TIME-PIECE 4Sheets-Sheet 3 O-ct. 3l, 1967 G. o. BRIDEVAUX 3,349,555

ALARM TIME-PIECE Filed Dec. e, 1966 4 sheets-sheet 4 United StatesPatent Office 3,349,555 ALARM TIME-PIECE Georges Olivier Bridevaux, 36Rue Pierre Pertuis, Tavannes, Switzerland Filed Dec. 6, 1966, Ser. No.599,476 1 Claim. (Cl. 58-16) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Alarm time-pieceincluding a movement barrel and an alarm barrel associated with a singlewinding mechanism for both barrels, in which the two barrels occupyingin plan view one half of the surface ,of the clock and the thickness ofthe clock while the part actuating the winding mechanism is located atthe periphery of the clock the alarm movement and the clockwork movementbeing superimposed in the other half of the movement in substantiallythe same plane, the part actuating the winding mechanism being locatedat the periphery of the movement and at least approximately indiametrically opposite relationship with reference to the part adjustingthe time at which the alarm is to be released.

This application is a continuation in part of my previous applicationSer. No. 405,080, now abandoned tiled Oct. 20, 1964.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

In said drawings: FIGURE l is a view of the back of the time-piece;FIGURE 2 is an inner view of the different parts thereof; FIGURE 3 isdivided into two sections forming together a cross-section through lineIII-III of FIGURE 2; FIGURE 4 is a view cut away of the back of thetime-piece; and FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-Vof FIGURE 4.

The embodiment illustrated includes a casing 1 carried by a pedestal 2and provided with a bottom 3 secured to the frame of the movement bythree screws 4. The spindle carrying the minute hand extends through thecenter of the bottom, and carries the knob 5 and the spindle driving thegear adjusting the time of alarm and rigid with a knob 6 passeseccentrically through said bottom and a winding key 7 which allowswinding in succession the movement spring and the alarm spring is alsocarried by the bottom 3.

Said bottom is also provided with a lever 8 adapted to stop the ringingof the alarm and with a gate 9 through which it is possible to modifythe adjustment of the movement. The winding key 7 and the knob 6adjusting the time of release, are located in the vicinity of theperiphery of the casing so that the distance between the centraltime-setting knob 5 and each of said parts 6 and 7 may be as great aspossible.

This condition is satised by the special arrangement of the differentmembers forming the movement and the alarm mechanism as illustrateddiagrammatically in FIG- URE 2 and cross-sectionally along line III-IIIof FIG- URE 2 in FIGURE 3. The plates 25 and 26 are assembled by pillars27 engaged by screws 28. The Winding shaft 44 rigid with the key 7, isrevolvably carried in the plate 26. The wheel 11, rigid with said shaftmeshes with the transmission gear 12 fitted on the yoke 13. The latterprovides for the drive according to the angular shifting to which it3,349,555 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 is subjected, of ratchet wheel end ofthe movement barrel spindle 29 or of ratchet Wheel 15 rigid with thealarm barrel spindle 30 of substantially the same height as 29. Themovement barrel 10 drives, through the intermediate gear 31, the centerwheel 32 on the square spindle 16 of which is fitted the timesettingknob 6. The clockwork gear of a conventional structure, includes thethird wheel 33, the fourth wheel 34, the escape wheel 35, the anchor 36and the balance wheel 17 riveted on its staff 37. These five movingmembers are pivotally carried by an intermediate plate 38 and holdingthe lower extremity of the clockwork superimposed over the alarmmechanism of which the hammer is shown at 20 and the alarm power wheelat 39. The cross-sectional FIGURE 3 shows also the dial 40, the hands 41and the glass 42. The alarm barrel 9 drives, through the wheel 43, thealarm wheel 39 cooperating with the hammer 20, as will be indicatedlater.

The plan view of FIGURE 2 shows that the two barrels occupy one half ofthe plane of the movement while the cross-section of FIGURE 3 shows inaddition to the considerable height provided for the barrels, thesuperimposition of the time mechanism 21 over the alarm mechanism, whichallows locating at the periphery of the casing, the operative parts 6and 7 which are arranged at least approximately at the opposite ends ofa diameter and as far as possible from each other, these two mechanismsboth lying in the plane occupied by said barrels.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described hereinabove andit covers also other embodiments wherein the casing may be given apolygonal shape in which case the operative parts 6 and 7 are positionedat least approximately at the opposite ends of one of the diagonals ofsaid casing.

FIGURE 5 shows how intermediate plate 44 holds the upper ends of themobiles of the alarm movement and on plate 44 is placed plate 38 whichsupports the timepiece movement thus forming two levels between plates25 and 26. Shaft 46 is the control shaft for adjusting the alarm and isintegral with wheel 47 which has an opening (not shown). Wheel 47,manually set by button 6, is operatively associated to an alarm hand inthe center of the movement and rigid with the tube of wheel 48. Thealarm is set olf by intermediate wheel 50 (coaxial with the otherintermediate wheel 49 linking 47 and 48) but independent therefrom. Hourwheel 51 meshes with wheel 52 through intermediate wheel 50. Wheel 52 isfreely pivoted on shaft 46 and has a cam 53 cooperating with the openingof the shoulder of wheel 47 in usual fashion. Spring 54 causes wheels 52and 47 to bear axially one against the other so that when the opening of47 passes in front of cam 53, the cam will enter it and thus free theend of hammer 20 causing ringing.

FIGURE 4 shows means for stopping the alarm which consist of lever 56which has a stud 58 which ts under lever 54 and puts it in the positionshown in FIGURE 5 under hammer 20 to prevent it from vibrating bypushing on button 55.

The alarm time-piece according to the invention, ensures thus a spacingas large as possible between the winding and time-setting parts whichprevents the user from fortuitously moving one of said parts when heactuates an adjacent part and thereby the safety of operation isconsiderably increased.

14 fitted over the square 3 What is claimed is: 1 In an alarmtime-piece, the combination of a casing, an alarm barrel and a clockworkbarrel mounted together in one diametrical half of the casing, a commonWinding part for both barrels positioned near the periphery of thecasing, a clockwork movement controlled by the clockwork barrel, analarm mechanism controlled by the alarm barrel, said movement and saidmechanism being superimposed With respect to one another in the otherhalf of the casing, a time setting part cooperating with the movementand lying at the center of the casing and a part adjusting the time ofrelease ofthe alarm mechanism and positioned near the periphery of thecasing in substantial opposed di- `ametricall relationship withreference to the common winding part.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 1/ 1910 Austria. 10/ 1923 France.

STEPHEN I. TOMSKY, Primay Examiner.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Examiner.

15 L. MICHAEL LORCH, Assistant Examiner.

